[Reader-list] NREGA article

[Rakesh Iyer]

Dear Baruk

I am not sure, but to my knowledge, the grievance-redressal systems are not
functioning properly at all. The basic grievance redressal systems were the
provision of unemployment allowance (to be given in case employment was not
provided within 15 days of being asked), and the provision of paying more
money in case employment was not given within 30 days of asking. Both are
not functioning properly.

Moreover, in the draft Act, it was envisaged that there would be a national
authority which would deal with all grievances which can be filed as written
petitions or complaints at the gram panchayat level, having its state
sub-bodies and smaller enforcing bodies at the panchayat level. These have
not been activated in almost all states. This has been the most tragic part
as far as NREGA is concerned.

As far as the Right to Food draft Act is concerned, within the act there is
a provision of a national authority ( the kind of which had to be there in
NREGA as well), with state sub-bodies and bodies at the panchayat level,
which will monitor the cases of RTF not being implemented properly in the
respective villages.

However, the implementation of any scheme is mostly dependent on the people
who benefit from the scheme, and their active participation in it. First
it's important for the people to know about the scheme properly, and then to
fight for ensuring it works properly in their village. While Dreze and his
team of members and other NGO's across the country do fight for this
purpose, villagers also have to take an interest in the situation.

As an example, Tamil Nadu and Kerala have the best implementation (along
with some other states) as far as NREGA is concerned, but states like Uttar
Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh have been having corruption scams in the very
same program (entitlement). The reason is that in Tamil Nadu and Kerala,
there is a huge hue and cry raised whenever such schemes don't work
properly, or there is corruption, and the people also apply pressure to make
things work. Whereas in the other states, that is not the case.

It's this public pressure which forces the authorities to ensure that the
act is implemented properly ultimately. That is how the NREGA was introduced
in the first place. And your queries were not inane. They are quite genuine.


Thanks for the response.

Regards

Rakesh